In the blink of an eye, life can take an unexpected turn for the worse, or in this case, a gunshot. Just ask Walter DeLeon who went out for a walk and ended up fighting for his life. No. This wasn’t a case of a mugging gone wrong. The father of two, was shot in the head by the very people who were sworn to uphold the law above all else. The story and the video has sparked outrage and questions involving whether the use of deadly force was really justified for an unarmed man wearing a towel around his neck.He wasn’t a bad guy. He was just walking along L.A.’s Los Feliz Boulevard, minding his own business.
It certainly couldn’t have been the towel he was wearing abound his neck on the warm summer Southern California day. No. But it did lead to some unfortunate events. Some truly bizarre unfortunate events that were related to that towel, no matter how ridiculous that may sounds.
DeLeon was simply using the towel to get a pair of police officers’ attention, and unfortunately for him, it worked.
How that’s even possible is anyone’s guess, but Palacios reportedly felt threatened by DeLeon’s towel and shot him. Cops have a history of mistaking innocent objects for guns, and we surely can’t blame them as no one can know what it must feel to be in the middle of the moment, pressured to react and protect themselves.
Skittles, cellphones, wallets, IDs, but, a towel, of all things?
He not only lost a huge part of his skull but most of his eyesight and his ability to walk. he’s still whole, but he will never be the same.
Fortunately, he has his sister Yovanna, who was willing and able to provide the full time caregiving assistance he so desperately needs.
DeLeon’s lawyers have filed a civil rights suit against the LAPD, but they want to bring charges against Palacios as well in order to seek the financial reimbursement needed to tend to DeLeon’s medical needs.
If anything, this incident is a cry for change and some much needed improvement in police officer training. That way no one else has to suffer the way DeLeon has to.
It was impossible for Palacios and his partner to get away with the shooting without being seeing. In fact, two men caught the whole thing on camera, which showed the cops putting DeLeon, whose head was partially destroyed by the bullet, being handcuffed.